Technology
Never get locked out of your email again by doing this
Getting locked out of your email is no fun. To start, maybe you forgot your username or password, and now you have to go through all the security verification steps to reset it. Or perhaps you thought you knew your information, but with too many attempts, you’ve been locked out of your account entirely. This could also happen if someone else attempted to log in to your account with a similar username to yours and, with all their incorrect attempts, accidentally locked you out in the process.
Even if you have account recovery information on file, sometimes it’s not enough. Maybe the recovery information you have on a file is with an old email or one you don’t remember the login information for. We’ve all been there.
Whatever the case, getting back into your account depends on why you can’t access it in the first place. Many of us rely on our email daily – whether to stay in touch with friends or family, receive newsletters or handle essential documents and correspondence – so it’s important to know what to do if you ever get locked out of your email.
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Person typing on laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to get back into your email account on:
Outlook
How to unlock Outlook page (Microsoft) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Go to the sign-in page: Visit the Outlook.com sign-in page and click “Forgot my password.”
- Verify your identity: Choose why you need your password reset and then continue. For security purposes, you’ll be asked to enter your email address and the characters you see on the screen.
- Receive a security code: Choose how you want to get the security code (usually via an alternate email or SMS). Enter the code you receive to verify your identity.
- Reset your password: Create a new password once your identity is confirmed.
If your account gets blocked, you can also visit their account recovery help here.
MORE: BEST PRIVATE AND SECURE EMAIL PROVIDERS 2024
AOL
Fix problems signing into your AOL account page (AOL) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Access the AOL sign-in page: Navigate to the AOL sign-in page and click “Forgot password?”
- Verify information: Provide the email address or phone number linked to your account and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Choose how to reset your password: You’ll receive options for resetting your password, including receiving a verification code via email or SMS.
- Reset the password: Enter the verification code received and create a new password.
If you’re still locked out of your account, visit AOL’s help page here.
DuckDuckGo Email
DuckDuckGo email support page (DuckDuckGo) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
DuckDuckGo provides email forwarding services through @duck.com addresses linked to your primary email. Here are the steps if you’re locked out.
- Access DuckDuckGo settings: Since DuckDuckGo email is not a full-fledged email provider but a forwarding service, you’ll need to access your DuckDuckGo settings through their website.
- Manage your Email Protection: In the settings, navigate to Email Protection and verify your identity as needed.
- Check linked email: Ensure your primary email address is correct and has access. If not, follow the recovery process for your primary email provider.
If you have trouble logging in, DuckDuckGo recommends contacting their support team at support@duck.com. You can read more about it on their help pages.
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Yahoo
Fix problems signing into your Yahoo account page (Yahoo) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Visit the Help site: Go to the Yahoo sign-in helper page.
- Enter your Yahoo ID: Input your Yahoo email address and continue. You may also be asked to enter the CAPTCHA code. Then click “Forgot Password?”
- Choose your recovery method: You can choose to receive a verification code via email or text message to a registered alternate email address or phone number.
- Enter the verification code: Type the verification code you received to verify your identity.
- Create a new password: After verification, you will be prompted to create a new password.
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StartMail
I forgot my password page (StartMail) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Visit the recovery page: Go to the StartMail log-in page and click on “Forgot your password?”.
- Enter your account details: Provide your StartMail account email address.
- Verification via backup email: You’ll receive an email with instructions to reset your password at your backup email address.
- Reset your password: Follow the instructions in the email to reset your password.
StartMail uses a recovery email or a one-time verification code if you get locked out. This will have to be set up when you first open the account. For additional support for each one of these steps, visit here.
Gmail
How to recover your Google Gmail page (Gmail) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Visit Account Recovery: Go to the Google Account Recovery page at https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery.
- Enter your Gmail address: Input the email address you need to access. Click “Next.”
- Verify your identity: You’ll be prompted with several ways to verify your identity. Choose the most convenient option, which might include answering security questions, receiving a verification code via text or a phone call to a previously configured recovery phone number, or sending a verification code to a recovery email address you had set up.
- Receive and enter the verification code: If you opt to receive a code, enter it in the provided space to proceed.
- Reset your password: Once verified, you can set a new password. Choose a strong and secure password that hasn’t been used on your account before.
- Recovery without sufficient information: If you can’t provide enough information to verify your account immediately, keep trying. Google might offer additional questions or options after several attempts or after some time has passed.
- Follow additional instructions: If you successfully verify your identity, follow any further instructions from Google to regain access to your account.
The nice thing about Gmail is that you have unlimited attempts. They won’t lock you out, so you can continue to try. If you need additional help, visit their account recovery help page here.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
We’ve all been locked out of our accounts at one point or another. Luckily, most email platforms make it relatively simple to get back in, with security at the top of mind. That being said, storing your usernames and passwords somewhere safe (the old pen-and-paper method does the trick) so you don’t risk getting locked out. Of course, be sure to use secure password best practices whenever you can.
Have you ever been locked out of one of your email accounts to the point where you had to create a new account altogether? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
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Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard
When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”
Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.
This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”
Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”
Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”
Technology
Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed
UCF commencement speaker Gloria Caulfield (University of Central Florida via Storyful)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
– UCF graduates clobber commencement speaker with boos after she says AI is the ‘next Industrial Revolution’
– OPINION: DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: We brought the FBI out of the past and into the AI age
– OpenAI backs creation of global AI governance body led by the U.S. that would include China as a member
TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.
A statue on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)
BADGE MEETS BYTE: Reflecting on the modernization of national security in a Fox News op-ed, FBI Director Kash Patel explores how the bureau must adapt its strategies to address modern threats and advance beyond the artificial intelligence age.
TECH DIPLOMACY: OpenAI is throwing its support behind the establishment of a new global artificial intelligence governance organization that would be led by the United States while notably including China as a member. Fox News Digital reporting examines the geopolitical dynamics and regulatory implications of this proposed framework as global powers race to set the standards for AI development.
EQUITY ELEVATION: The massive wave of wealth generated by the explosive growth of ChatGPT and the broader AI industry is driving a sudden surge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s luxury real estate market. Fox News Digital reporting breaks down how the influx of new tech capital is reshaping local housing dynamics and fueling a high-end property frenzy.
FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
STRATEGY RESET: Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations. Fox News Digital reporting details the corporate restructuring and broader economic trends pushing legacy tech firms to aggressively pivot toward AI.
ROAD HAZARD: Waymo is issuing a sweeping recall of its autonomous vehicle fleet following a concerning incident that highlighted significant safety issues with the self-driving technology. Fox News Digital reporting outlines the specifics of the recall, the nature of the safety flaw, and what this setback means for the future of fully autonomous transportation on public roads.
BOTS IN THE BAY: A newly developed, artificial intelligence-powered robot has been engineered to seamlessly change and balance vehicle tires without human intervention. Fox News Digital reporting showcases this latest innovation, exploring how automation and AI mechanics could soon revolutionize the automotive service and repair industry.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
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Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
Technology
Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs
Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
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